Sanitary napkin holder



July 13, 1948. WA 2,445, o94

I SANITARY: NAPKIN HOLDER Filed Jan. 18, 1947 INVENTOR. JqsePr-lma A. WALD BY A T TORNE Y Patented July 13, 1948 UNITED STATES i PATENT 2,445,094

SANITA Y NAPKIN HOLDER Josephine A Wald, Detroit, Mich. Application January 18, 1947, sei ial hio, 722,808

The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin helder in which an impervious, elastomeric catamenial pouch is provided to hold a disposaie ebset eht ad. th holder ei ch h it th y be wor he n eh h y h e ml o eon-e ven h e t is e hfide qeh ehtiehei etem h pouches here fore su ested have not been Wholly satisfactory due te the fact that their supporting straps free eheh lr a e eumhe e i h bulky snaps, bu ies, or other adjusting devices, and are difficult to eenee l a W l s uheem er e to Weer- In eds dition, the suppgrting straps usually are not prope rlv he. sheet t eohfo m o m d v ov me its i h the s l thet h ch i easily disrleeed wit consequent e 's d m rrassinent to the wearer. The pouch itself frequently is not properly designed or formed oi proper materials to assure its cooperation with the sheh tihs s ess of the device to adequately and securely hold the disposable absorbent pad or to permit the convenient replacement thereof.

important gbject of the present invention s th re e eh im o d s h e n holder w i h rmi s he ep ehe te be eehsn eih ously and een e i h ly We h th mfort an in which the coh erative construction and are ran ment bet e the much nd uppo t n stra s. nerihits th el r to. e h h r i to the bqd l ee ate irs o e wearer end a th same time permits complete ireedom of .movement for the hinge peints of normal bodily mo ement. the eb to e min e d e t of the device and body chafing therefrom.

Qthe olejects of the present invention are to provide improvements in a sanitary napkin hold.-

r in hich th mu h s suspended by n r flat, resilie t straps, adapted to conform readily and incons picuously to the body contours of the wearer; andin which the pouch itself comprises an impervious resilient plastic film specially constructed to prevent curling or rolling at the edges thereof and particularly adapted to conform to the pe i girdle t e u a d 0 he d s osition during normal bodily movement of the user.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide a sanitary napkin holder having a pocketed catameniai pouch which is particularly adapted to retain a disposable pad or sanitary apkin mete hi e pou s being or and to permit ready replacement of the pads without necessitating the complete removal of the holder from the body of the wearer.

" her e ts qr th s .ihvemhh w whe in 2 Qlaims. (o1. ts-ass the io lew he deser h ieh and a end d la s rei re ie e n had t9 heeeee hhe e ew ines orming a Pertt th s sn eifie eh in k ref rents ehe ee ei d si n te e r h h s parts i he se ral ie s- Fig. l is a vertical section through the pouch r a sanit r h hh h h der eth tiy' hs m e t ihven ieh. shqwhv hq t e eh her e a human figure phantom, and also showing h uman fi ur with he ee i e l i the m sh i t rel xed qsit eh iiiphehtehi fer placing a pad.

Figs. 2 and I; are reduced scale front and gear vi s e etiv ly e he hk h h r Q F n 1 end shewh in he it eh he of e h h u a fig re Tris,- 4 i es ehtielly .e at View ei th hehk older in Fi Before explaining the present invention in detail t i t be hslersteeti h he in n n. is he 'hm d. in t er lieetieh t e details of e s ru.eti hv and a rehe iheh of Pa il t et d in the ee emheh ihe ihf he te in en i n s eepetleei "eth mb m end of bei hreeti ed e e rri q ou n v r o s e' j- Alse hi o he iiheie steed h t th h i see t erm he te eh nleyeti herei i t the P l pose of description and not of limitation.

A ssent al a d impa tnt ea u t p e ent in ention is th Pr i e a sehi i sih helder which hhe eqhiqrhiste he s h .he i rd e with a minimum ee eq en with positive protection to the wearer and which is support d by e as ic siren hat re Pe tit lar y d pted to r p he their mmediate be and elew he h s s9 a to allow e ihh e r iiq s .ihe e heh the the at the eist ehs hi h a m n mum 0? h vehieht o s in en h pouch nd u perthie streets,

in o d r to ill strate elee lv th ad antage ehcieh heshen. Q; the Present hvehtieh e se t j p ih h lde empl yin e s ee flt em diment thereof is described below in reference to h dra in herein the ten h; htiieet i e erelly y he umeral 1. is Joined the os al he mid he o th eer b the eles e t ey e e eh s stre H an e t e r b the tw e ti ee t a s 2 ;..i "n h te' ettesh" t Is hi the nc clin st p helew ehsi ierwerq hem the p r portion o th hi e i s shlt's eh elh' t t e m d e the, r in i s".- l and he P h eezn ri es hin: i P ViQH ie thiher e membrane I h y be ii -shi heir ui ab e e e erie last materiel or i they be term ated. it m e hi ehle sheet a su h hie.-

terial, such as, for example, a vinyl plastic sheet which is flexible and soft to the touch, yet is tough and resilient. It is a primary consideration to avoid bulky and cumbersome connections between the straps II and I2 and between the straps II and I2 and the ends of the pouch I0.

Fig. 1 shows the pouch III as normally worn over the vulva and extending forward from the coccygeal region to slightly above the lower portion of the symphysis pubis. For the sake of comfort and in order to adapt the pouch I to the arcuate contour of the portion of the body at which it is Worn, it is important to effect a with respect to the body is virtually eliminated. This eliminates chafing as well as the danger of displacement of the pouch I0 and the absorbent pad I9.

The position of the encircling strap II along the fold of the groin on either side of the pouch I0 not only provides optimum, comfort by resting clear of the abdomen, but also avoids movement that might otherwise be imparted to the strap II and pouch I0 upon movement of the legs. Since the forward portions of the strap I'I lie along the hinge folds of the legs, it is apparent that the legs may be freely moved withlongitudinal curve to the pouch I0. Accordingly, v

a significant feature of the present invention is pouch II], as shown in Fig. 1. The edges I4-ofthe pouch II) are shorter than the length of the longitudinal mid-section of the pouch II). If the pouch I0 is molded, the edges I4 may be provided with a rolled bead edge. 'If the pouch I0 is fabricated from sheet materials, the edges I4 are shirred and bound with a resilient tape.

A pocket I5 is formed by the cover flap I6 which is secured across the forward portion of the top of the pouch III, at the front near the juncture of the pouch Ill and the encircling strap II'. A pocket I! is formed by the cover flap I8 which is secured across the rearward portion of the top of the pouch IIi near the juncture of the pouch II] with the ends of the leg straps I2.

The ends of an absorbent pad I9 are fitted within the pockets I5 and I! so that when the pouch I0 is worn, the opposite ends of the pad I9 are held by the flattening of the pockets I5 and I1. Thus slight movements of the body relativeto the pouch III will not cause displacement of the pad I9.

Used pads I9 may be replaced without entirel removing the sanitary napkin holder. The rear portion of the pouch may be swung downward and forward byslipping the leg strap I2 downward on one side. Removal of a pad I9 is facilitated by raising one leg to the position shown in phantom, Fig. 1. This gives ready access to the pouch I0 to permit replacement of the pad I9.

Since downward movement of the leg straps I2 readily swings the pouch I0 and pad I9 out of position, it will be apparent that normal evacuation of the bowels and bladder is possible without removing the holder from the body and without removal of the pad I9 from the pouch Ill.

The supporting straps II' and I2 are so designed and located that they do not bind or limit bodily movement of the wearer. The straps II and I2 are particularly located with respect to the body so that they do not interfere with the freedom of the hinge points thereof. At the same time, movement or torsion is minimized between the pouch I 0 and the supporting straps II and The encircling strap II crosses the mid-line of the body in front and below the upper portion of the symphysis pubis and passes upward on either side essentially along the fold of the groin and just over the hip to complete a circle across the lumbar region at the small of the back. Bending or torsion at the waist will therefore have little eifect in moving the encircling strap II, since it encircles the substantially inarticulate pelvic girdle and is thereby movable essentially only as a unit with the pouch IE). Accordingly, relative movement of the strap II and pouchID out causing appreciable movement of the strap The leg straps I2 also are positioned sothat movement of the legs does not cause appreciable movement of the leg straps I2 and the rear portion of the pouch I0 is held in place during all leg movements. The forward portion of each strap I2, from the point I3 to-the side of the thigh, lies along the hinge line of the leg and is therefore only slightly affected by movement of the leg. Extreme movement of the legs,such as kicking upward, tends to raise the front portions of the straps I2, which movement is resisted by the rear portion of the strap I2 to pull the pouch II] more tightly into contact with the body. The rear portions of the straps I2 extend angularly downward to a position belowthe coccyx where they are joined at the rear of the pouch Illand thus are relatively immobile with respect to the pelvic girdle regardless of movement of the legs.

It is to be noted in this connection that the angularityof the juncture between the leg straps I2 and therear of the pouch I0 comprises an important improvement in the construction of sanitary napkin holders of the type of the present invention,and holds the pouch I0 positively over the body region of the wearer to be protected. As is apparent from Fig. 3, the tension in the straps I2 exerts equal components of lateral force tending tohold the rear of the pouch I0 on the mid-plane of the body, and likewise exertsa vertical component of force which prevents the rear portion of the pouch I 0 from working downward as a consequence of repeated alternating movements of the buttocks during walking or other normal bodily activities. Thus the present invention permits recreational activities such as dancing, for example, and is thereby particularly suited for the athletic woman.

The tension'on the forward portion of the pouch I0 and its connection with the strap II is balanced at the rear of the pouch ID by an equal tension comprising the vertical component of force of the straps I2, so that the rearof the pouch I B is maintained over the base of the coccyx as required for adequate protection to the wearer. Thus the pouch I0 is held tightly to the wearers body, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bifurcation and angulardispostio-n of the straps I2 at the base of the pouch III prevent the latter from wedging uncomfortably into the sagittal crack between the buttocks.

Obviously, the angle between the straps I2 at their juncturewith the rear of the pouch II! will vary in accordance with the design of other portions of the holder, and may feasibly range from approximately to approximately The smaller the angle, the greater will be the vertical I2 at their juncture with the pouch III has been found suitable to support the latter as desired and to prevent its working downward.

Another important feature of the present invention is its freedom from buckles, snaps and other conspicuous encumbrances which are not only a source of great irritation to the wearer,

but are also the principal source of trouble encountered in replacing sanitary pads, since the pad tape becomes matted and entangled in the snaps and buckles. The device is adapted to be made in various sizes in the manner of other articles of clothing and therefore requires no additional adjustment for the particular wearer, although the resiliency of the straps H and I2 will accommodate minor adjustments in size. Accordingly, the device may be worn inconspicuously under light or abbreviated clothing, such as sport clothes, bathing suits, and the like.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided important improvements in a holder for disposable sanitary napkins, which provides positive protection yet which is particularly adapted by its improved construction and arrangement of parts to be worn inconspicuously without chafing or danger of moving out of place. The suspension for the impervious pouch conforms to the substantially inarticulate pelvic girdle so that all hinged points of the body are free to move without causing displacement of the holder.

Iclaimn 1. In a. sanitary napkin holder adapted to conform and to be movable as a unit with the essentially inarticulate pelvic girdle of the wearer, the combination of a longitudinally curved pouch of soft impervious elastomeric sheeting adapted to hold a disposable absorbent pad and to extend from the base of the coccyx tions around the body of the wearer from the region of the pubis and over the hips and across the lower portion of the back, and means to exert a vertical component of force at the rear of said pouch to prevent downward movement thereof and to exert balanced horizontal components of force to prevent lateral displacement thereof so as to support the rear of said pouch over the base of the coccyx and including a pair of resilient leg straps symmetrically secured angularly to each other at the rear of said pouch and extending angularly and laterally from each other and upward and forward across the buttocks, the forward end of each leg strap being attached in the region of the groin of its respective thigh to said body encircling strap.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 and being further characterized in that said pouch is essentially the length of an absorbent napkin to be held thereby, in that flat pockets are provided by the ends of said pouch to receive the ends of said napkin and to grip the latter upon flattening of said pockets against the body of the wearer, in that the lateral edges of said pouch are shorter than the longitudinal midsection thereof so as to effect said longitudinal curve for conforming to the body contour of the wearer, and in that means are provided to prevent outward curling of the edges of said impervious elastomeric pouch and include an elastic bead along the lateral edge portions thereof.

JOSEPHINE A. WALD.

REFERENCES CITED Name Date Berry June 18, 1907 Meyer June 6, 1933 Number 

